The moon rises over the Cooper-Molera Adobe in Monterey, seen from the garden side and lit with candles for the annual Christmas in the Adobes fundraiser.

Photo: Cindy Ewing, California State Parks

The moon rises over the Cooper-Molera Adobe in Monterey, seen from...

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Costumed volunteers Rosie Pettas and her mother, Vicki Bruce, welcome guests into the dining room of the Cooper-Molera Adobe during last year's Christmas in the Adobes walking tour in Monterey.

Photo: Cindy Ewing, California State Parks

Costumed volunteers Rosie Pettas and her mother, Vicki Bruce,...

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A fire burns in the hearth at Merritt House, built in 1830 and once owned by the daughter of a Monterey alcalde (mayor) and her Yankee husband.

Photo: Cindy Ewing, California State Parks

A fire burns in the hearth at Merritt House, built in 1830 and once...

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Lute player Robert McNamara performs in the Larkin House, built by a Yankee merchant in 1834 and one of 22 sites on the Christmas in the Adobes walking tour in Monterey.

Photo: Cindy Ewing, California State Parks

Lute player Robert McNamara performs in the Larkin House, built by...

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Visitors to Robert Louis Stevenson's house in Monterey during Christmas in the Adobes can expect Scottish elements such as a bagpiper, tea and shortbread, as well as holiday decor.

Photo: Cindy Ewing, California State Parks

Visitors to Robert Louis Stevenson's house in Monterey during...

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Fandango lessons from costumed dancers are a Christmas in the Adobes tradition at the Custom House in Monterey.

Photo: Cindy Ewing, California State Parks

Fandango lessons from costumed dancers are a Christmas in the...

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Performances by Jalisco harp player William Faulkner are a highlight of Christmas in the Adobes at Casa Soberanes, whose former owners were known in the mid-19th century for providing music at Monterey gatherings.

Photo: Cindy Ewing, California State Parks

Performances by Jalisco harp player William Faulkner are a...

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Native Rumsien author and traditional basket maker Linda Yamani exhibits her craft in Pacific House, one of 22 stops on the Christmas in the Adobes tour in Monterey.

Photo: Cindy Ewing, California State Parks

Native Rumsien author and traditional basket maker Linda Yamani...

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San Carlos Cathedral, which hosts a Mass both evenings of the Christmas in the Adobes walking tour, is renowned for the hot chocolate it serves then.

Photo: Cindy Ewing, California State Parks

San Carlos Cathedral, which hosts a Mass both evenings of the...

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In order to present a more authentic portrayal of Jack Swan, operator of California's first theater, actor Kevin Hanstick learned to play a squeezebox, with which he entertains guests in the tavern portion of the historic building during the Christmas in the Adobes walking tour.

What a difference a day makes — even when a couple of centuries are involved.

At least, that's what the organizers of Monterey's popular Christmas in the Adobes event are hoping, since this year marks the first time the two-night tour will be held on consecutive nights — Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7 and 8, to be exact. That should give encourage more visitors to stay overnight and spread out their time enjoying the period decorations, vintage-style entertainment and refreshments at the 22 historic structures, both public and private, on the tour.

Online ticket sales also make their debut this year, although they can still be bought at the Cooper Museum Store (one of the featured 19th century adobes) in advance or on the night of the tours, which run from 5 to 9 p.m. each night. Other noteworthy developments include the addition of the Rodrigues-Osio Adobe (380 Alvarado St.), currently an office building; the return of the Monterey Hotel to the tour, after many years away and a recent renovation that highlights its history; and the inclusion of the De La Torre Adobe, home to the Big Sur Land Trust, for the second year in a row.

Credit much of the innovation to Michael Green, manager of Monterey State Historic Park, which comprises about a third of the buildings on the tour. His motivation goes beyond the fact that Christmas in the Adobes is the park's prime fundraiser, specifically benefiting children's education programs, Green said.

"There's something about a strong community spirit, about something everyone does during the holidays. You see a really happy community, families out together, with their children, seeing these buildings in a different way," he explained. "It's a different experience than going into a business that's operating out of the adobe during the day. When you see it at night, decorated with volunteers in historic wardrobe that are eager to share their history of that place, it means so much more, and it sheds new light in our community."

Last year Green accompanied photographer Cindy Ewing, whose images appear with this article, to each stop on the tour. "It was quite eye-opening for me, and really absorbing to see it from the perspective of a visitor," he said. "I was impressed by how important it is for people in the community, and also how many outside of the area come out for it."

One of the most popular stops is the Custom House, Green noted, where instructors give fandango lessons. "People just love this," he said. "We have a live band that plays on historically correct instruments, and kids go right up to them. It's just one of the cutest things you'll see — watching kids learn the fandango and then they enjoy watching the adults try to act like them."

Other highlights, according to Green, include:

— agua fresca and performances by Jalisco harp player William Faulkner in Casa Soberanes, named for the mid-19th century residents who "you could alway invite to the party because they were all musicians."

— tea and shortbread, and an actor reading from "A Child's Garden of Verses" at the Robert Louis Stevenson House. "There's a lot of Stevensonia for kids, and for entertainment they hire a bagpiper. A lot of people hate or love bagpipes, but when you hear one up close and live, it's pretty neat."

— the portrayal of California's First Theater builder Jack Swan by Kevin Hanstick, who learned to play the squeezebox just for this role; he'll be in the wooden tavern portion of the building, since the adobe section is being restored. "The bartenders act like they're serving up grog and drinks, but it's actually just lemon water."

— the "notorious" hot chocolate at the Royal Presidio Chapel (San Carlos Cathedral), which also hosts a Mass each night, and so opens later for the tour. "I've had people call up to ask where they had the hot chocolate. The cathedral has also undergone a restoration in the last few years, and it's just beautiful what they've done."

Some tour participants start their evening with the Mass, and in these often contentious days of defining separation of church and state, it's significant that no one has objected to the "Christmas" part of Christmas in the Adobes, unlike holiday music in the state capitol rotunda, where Green previously worked.

"It is historically accurate here, because this was an almost 100 percent Catholic town in the 19th century," Green noted. "If you were a Yankee like Captain Cooper and you came here in 1821, you had to change your religion if you wanted to do business. There was a really strong Catholic culture in the historical period."

The tour also includes presentations by Californian Indians, reflecting that "they were here for thousands of years before the Europeans," he said. "We want them in everything we do, because they were the first people here."

Admission is $20 ($30 for a two-night pass) for adults, and just $2 for ages 6 to 17 and free for ages five and under, to encourage family participation, Green said. "It's really quite special — the good feeling that people walking around, enjoying the event, have."

Jeanne Cooper is the former Chronicle Travel Editor and author of SFGate's Hawaii Insider, a daily blog about Hawaii travel and island culture.